US1040970A - Door controlling and locking means. - Google Patents

Description

H. G. VOIGHT.

DOOR CONTROLLING AND LOCKING MEANS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 5, 1912.

1 ,O40,970, Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOOIIAI'N C(L-WASHINO'ION. u. c.

HENRY G. VOIGHT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

DOOR CONTROLLING AND LOCKING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application filed .Tune 5, 1912. Serial No. 701,726.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. Vororrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, Hartford county, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Controlling and Looking Means, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to controlling and locking means for sliding doors and is more particularly directed to improved means whereby the door may be securely and firmly held in closed position and whereby it may be expeditiously opened with a minimum expenditure of energy.

In my pending application, Serial No. 690,882, I have shown and described a door controlling mechanism in which a power cylinder is mounted upon the door casing, toggle lever connections extending between said cylinder and the forward edge of the door and being operable through said power cylinder to close the door, and means being carried by the door to cooperate with said toggle to lock it against door opening movement and to unlock it and open the door. The toggle lever connections in said application are of the bent toggle type and are not horizontal or in longitudinal alinement when the toggle is straightened out or distended as contrasted with broken or flexed. This form of toggle, while facilitating the expeditious opening of the door with a minimum expenditure of energy, permits some lost motion after the door has been closed and, therefore, does not hold the door absolutely rigid in closed position.

The object of this present invention is to provide a structure which will securely and firmly hold the door in closed position and will in addition permit the opening of the door against the force of the power cylinder with the expenditure of a minimum of effort on the part of the operator. To this end I employ the bent toggle and power cylinder of my pending application above referred to, and in conjunction therewith employ a straight locking toggle, one end of which is pivoted to the door casing or other stationary abutment and the other end of which is pivotally mounted on the door. This straight toggle construction involves so modifying the lever components of a bent toggle construction that the toggle is straightened out by the closing of the door,

the lever members being horizontal and in longitudinal alinement and thereby on a dead center whereby they are themselves automatically locked against door opening movement when so positioned. In connection with this I employ independently operable means for breaking the dead center lock of this toggle and for moving the door to open position, which means may cooperate with the straight toggle and form an auxiliary locking means. I therefore secure by these arrangements the double advantage of a firm and secure lock and an expeditiously and easily operable opening.

To this end, the invention consists in the following combinations of structure, a preferable embodiment ofwhich is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the invention as applied to a sliding door. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the forward end of the toggle levers connected to the forward edge of the door and provided with toggle breaking and auxiliary latching means. Fig. 4 is an end view, partly in section, of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals: lindicates a door of the sliding type, and 2 a door casing. 3 is a bracket mounted upon the door casing, and 4: a power closer cylinder pivotally mounted at its lower end on said bracket. Levers 5 and 6, preferably formed as spaced bars, as shown, are pivotally connected to each other at their adjacent ends, lever member 6 at its rear end being pivotally mounted at 3 on the bracket member 3 and having a tranverse arm 7 extending therefrom adjacent said end and pivotally connected to the piston rod 4: of the closer cylinder. The forward. end of the lever member is journaled on a pivot stud 8 carried by a hub plate 9 and secured to the forward edge of the door. These two lever members 5 and 6 are so constructed that together they form a toggle of the bent type, that is, when moved downwardly by the power of the closer cylinder 4, they are partially straightened to move the door to closed position, but are so constructed that they cannot be fully straightened out in longitudinal alinement when the door is closed. The levers 10 and 11, preferably formed as straight toggle in that they are so constructed that when the door is moved to closed position, the lever members 10 and 11 will be fully straightened out and extend horizontally and in longitudinal alinement.

They will, therefore, be on a dead center and when so positioned, will be thereby locked against door opening movement.

The bent toggle formed by the levers 5 and 6 is not so locked against door opening movement, and owing to the fact that it is bent or broken, may be readily moved with the opening of the door against the force of the power cylinder 4 which normally tends to distend or straighten them out to close the door.

From the construction of the parts so far described, it will be seen that the force of power cylinder 4, through its piston rod 4*, arm 7 and toggle levers 5 and 6, will normally move the door to closed position. As this is done, the lever members 10 and 11 are, with the lever members 5 and 6, moved downwardly from the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, to that shown in full lines, these levers 1011 being straightened out and automatically locking themselves against door opening movement, while the lever members 56 form a bent toggle which, aside from the resistance of the power cylinder, ofiers practically no resistance to the opening movement of the door. Before the door can be opened, however, the dead center lock formed by the straight toggle levers 1011 must be broken. In order to permit this, I have provided the following mechanism:

Mounted upon the forward edge of the door above the hub plate 9 is a door plate 12 formed with a hub or boss 13 having a central aperture 14 extending therethrough and through the plate, this aperture at the outer end of the hub being enlarged to form an annular shoulder 15, and the rear face of the plate being recessed to provide a second annular shoulder 16 forming a continuation through a suitable bore formed in the door. An internally threaded bearing washer 19,

seated within the recess formed by the an-' nular shoulder 16, bears against said shoulder and against the outer face of the door. The pivot stud 18 carried by the operating lever 17 is pro-vided with a collar 20 fitting within the annular shoulder 15 and having a reduced extension or shoulder 21 fitting through the aperture 14 of the hub. From the annular shoulder 21, the stud is reduced in diameter and extends through a bore formed in the door, being provided with a threaded portion 22 formed and positioned to engage the threaded bearing Washer 19. At its extremity the pivot stud 18 is provided with a squared end 23, thedoor 1 be ing recessed on its opposite face to receive a socket plate 24 which serves to inclose the squared end of the pivot stud. The purpose of this squared end of the pivot stud is to enable the operating lever 17 to be actuated from the opposite side of the door as will be more clearly seen hereafter.

Journaled on the collar 20 of the pivot stud and bearing against the outer face of the hub 18 and the rear face of the lever member 17, is a link 25 pivotally connected at 26 to a second double link 27, in turn having its free ends pivotally connected at 28 to the lever irember 10 adjacent its forward end. Extending from the under face of the lever member 17 adjacent its upper pivoted end is an arm or stud 29 lying in the plane of the link member 25. The lever member 10 of the straight. toggle extends forwardly from the point where it is ournaled on the pivot stud 8 and has the spaced bars of which it is composed. united together at 30. A guide bracket 31 is spaced from the outer face of the lever member 10 at its forward end and is united thereto at 30 and at 32 and incloses between it and the outer face of said lever member, the lower end of the operating lever 17. Extending from the hub plate 9 adjacent its rear edge is an abutment stud 38 which is positioned to lie in the path of movement of the lower end of the operating lever 17 and acts as an abutirent through which force may be applied to open the door.

The levers forming the bent and straight toggles are spaced laterally of each other and have sufficient clearance so 3 closer cylinder 4 normally tends to pull its piston rod 4 downwardly to thereby,

through the transverse arm 7 and lever members 5 and 6, move the door to closed positlon, both toggles, when the door is in open position, being positioned as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. As the door is moved to closed position through the power cylinder and bent toggle 5 and 6, the straight toggle formed by the levers 10 and 11 is straightened out, as has been before described, to lie in longitudinal alinement and afford a dead center lock against door opening movement on the part of these levers. As these levers swing to straight position, the links 25-27 are likewise straightened out and form an auxiliary straight toggle lock against door opening movement on the part of the toggle 1011. WVith the door thus in closed position, to open the door the operating lever 17, through its handle, is moved to bring its arm or stud 29 against the lower edge of link 25, thus breaking the toggle and moving link 27 and lever member 10 upwardly to break the lock for'i' ed by the straight toggle of the levers 10 and 11. By the time this lock has been broken, the lower end of the operating lever 17 will have reached and abutted against the abutment stud A further pull by the operator will now move the door to open position, the bent toggle formed by the levers 5 and 6 moving upwardly, and through the great leverage secured by the position of its arm 7 permitting the opening of the door against the force of the power cylinder with a minimum expenditure of energy on the part of the operator. Upon the operator releasing the handle 17, the power cylinder l will move the door, through the bent toggle 5-45, to closed position, as before described, the handle swinging downwardly by gravity to the position indicated in full lines in Fi 3, and the parts assuming the locking positions heretofore described. It will thus be seen that by reason of the employment of a straight toggle, I securely and firmly lock the door in closed position, and, by the use of the bent toggle, enable the opening of the door against the force of the power cylinder after the straight toggle lock has been broken, with a minimum expenditure of energy.

I have described and illustrated a preferable embodin'ent of the invention, but it is, of course, understood that the same may be structurally modified within the scope of the apended claims.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sliding door, a stationary abutment, a bent toggle lever connection between said door and abutment, closing mechanism for said door operatively connected with said bent toggle to move the latter in a direction to move said door into closed position, a straight toggle lever connection between said door and a stationary abutment adapted to be straightened by the closing of the door to thereby lock the door against opening movement, and means carried by the door and independently movable relative thereto adapted to be moved to break said straight toggle lock and to open said door.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sliding door, a stationary abutment, a bent toggle lever connection between said door and abutment, closing mechanism for said door operatively connected with said bent toggle to move the latter in a direction to move said door into closed position, a straight toggle lever connection between said door and a stationary abutment adapted to be straightened by the closing of the door to thereby lock the door against opening movement, an operating lever carried by the door and independently movable relative thereto, and means operable by said'independent movement of said lever to break said straight toggle lock prepa '2 tory to opening the door.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sliding door, a stationary abutment, a bent toggle lever connection between said door and abutment, closing mechanism for said door operatively connected with said bent toggle to move the latter in a direction to move said door into closed position, a straight toggle lever connection between said door and a stationary abutment adapted to be straightened by the closing of the door to thereby lock the door against opening movement, an operating lever carried by the door and independently movable relative thereto, means operable by said independent movement of said lever to break said straight toggle lock preparatory to opening the door, and an abutment positioned on the door to be engaged by said operating lever at the end of such independent movement thereof whereby said lever may be further actuated to open said door.

t. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sliding door, a stationary abutment, a bent toggle lever connection between said door and abutment, closing mechanism for said door operatively connected with said bent toggle to move the latter in a direction to move said door into closed position, a straight toggle lever connection between said door and a stationary abutment adapted to be straightened by the closing of the door to thereby lock the door against opening movement, toggle unlocking mechanism carried by said door and in operative connection with said straight toggle, an operating lever carried by said door operatively connected with said unlocking mechanism and having a limited independent movement relative to said door whereby such movement of said lever operates to break said straight toggle lock preparatory to opening said door, and an abutment positioned on said door to be engaged by said operating lever at the end of such independent movement thereof, whereby said lever may be further actuated to open said door.

5. In a deviceot the character described, the combination of a sliding door, a stationary abutment, a bent toggle lever connection between said door and abutment, closing mechanism for said door operatively connected with said bent toggle to move the latter in a direction to move said door into closed position, a straight toggle lever connection between said door and a stationary abutment adapted to be straightened by the closing of the door to thereby lock the door against opening movement, means carried by said door and operatively connected with said straight toggle adapted to be positioned thereby upon the closing movement of the door to form an auxiliary lock therefor against door opening movement, and an operating lever carried by the door having a limited independent movement relative thereto and adapted to be moved relative to said door to inoperatively position said aux iliary locking means and to break said straight toggle lock preparatory to opening the door.

6. In a device ofthe character described, the combination of a sliding door, a stationary abutment, a bent toggle lever connection between said door and abutment, closing mechanism for said door operatively con- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five oents each, by addressing the Gommissi Washington, D. 0.

'nected with said bent toggle to move the latter in a direction to move said door into closed position, a straight toggle lever conlocking toggle connected to said door and to 40 said straight toggle and positioned thereby upon the closing movement of the door to act as an auxiliary lock therefor against- -door opening movement and adapted to be moved independently of said straight toggle to be placed in inoperative locking position relative thereto and to break the lock of said straight toggle, an operating lever carried by the door and having a limited independent movement relative thereto, means carried by said lever adapted, upon such independ ent movement thereof, to move sald auxiliary toggle into inoperative locking position to thereby break the lock of said straight toggle, and an abutment positioned on said door to be engaged by said operating lever at the end of such independent movement thereof, whereby said lever may be further actuated to open said door.

HENRY G. VOIGHT.

\Vitnesses GwnNDoLINE A. JACKSON, M. S. WIARD.

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